NHL draft scouting lists filtering out – who do the Avs take?

Obviously, I, along with every other follower of the Colorado Avalanche, am starting to scan a lot of scouting prospect lists for June’s NHL draft, to be held in Minnesota.Here is the list of the top prospects, according to International Scouting Services, updated March 15. The NHL’s Central Scouting Bureau – considered the most prestigious group/list – will put out their final rankings on April 12. Here is the CSB’s mid-season list.

ISS lists Red Deer center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins as their top pick at the moment. He’s a 6-0, 170-pound center. Usually I subscribe to the “take the best player available” philosophy, but center isn’t the Avs’ top priority at the moment. They’ve already got a backlog up the middle, and a guy like Hopkins might have trouble growing on a team like the Avs. That is, unless the Avs trade a top center like a Paul Stastny or something (not saying that’s going to happen or anything, just sayin’).

6-3, 200 defenseman Adam Larsson of Sweden is listed at No. 2, and 6-0, 207 LW Gabriel Landeskog is listed at No. 3. Left wing and defense are definitely two positions the Avs could use a re-stocking of depth and talent, so on paper those are the guys who make most sense. The Avs are essentially guaranteed of getting one of these three guys if they so desire.

The Avs are virtually locked into the No. 29 finish in the league. They would therefore have a chance at the No. 1 pick in the draft lottery, but the house odds usually are: you pick where you finish. Those are just the odds. So, chances are the Avs would get the No. 2 pick. If they finish 29th, they would be guaranteed to pick no lower than third.

Rick Pracey, the Avs’ chief scout, has done an excellent job since taking the job a couple of years ago, and no doubt he’s got thick files on all the top guys by now. If I had to bet money right now, I’d bet the Avs would take Landeskog because:
– They need to add more size up front, big-time. That’s especially true after losing Chris Stewart. The Avs’ forwards are too small and too easy to push around right now, and they need a tough guy with skill up front and they need it now.

– With some promising D-men on the way (Stefan Elliott, Tyson Barrie), the Avs may actually be much improved next year on the blue line. This is making the admittedly risky assumption that both rookies would come in and play and play well next year, and that Kyle Quincey comes back and has a good year after shoulder surgery and that Erik Johnson has a big year and…
It never, ever hurts to have more quality D-men and by all accounts Larsson is going to be a good one, so there certainly would be no shame in taking him.
But my hunch is the Avs recognize they need better size and skill up front right now, more than another D-man. So Landeskog would be my guy. At the moment. Granted, I wish I could see these guys play more. We need a junior hockey channel package or something. Or a European hockey channel.

RNH is a freak… just puttin it out there. However, it’s true, the Avs need size up front and good defence.

I would take Larsson, partially because he’s more likely to be able to step in right away and log good NHL minutes. Victor Hedman was the last big ticket out of Sweden on the back-end (sorry if I forgot someone) and a lot of reports say Larsson is further along in his development than Hedman was at the same time. Gotta say I like that outlook.

The Avs could have the Blues’ pick to work with, so maybe there’s an option to trade up.

As alternatives for both Larsson and Landeskog,

Tyler Biggs (Ranked 8 – RW – 6’2, 210) could be that size up front, unfortunately I don’t know too much about him. On the back end, Duncan Siemans ( Ranked 10 – D – 6’3, 197) is a pretty good defenceman right now for the Saskatoon Blades as a second team all-star this season in the WHL. I used the ISS Top 30 from March 15th for rankings.

So no matter who the Avs take with that top pick, there are some pretty good players hanging around the area where that Blues pick would sit (Currently ninth overall). But what is the condition on the Blues pick? If it’s in the top ten, don’t the Blues keep it?

Lots of choices on draft day for the Avs.

Phrish

I’m concerned about RNH though. After his recent comments about the Oilers, I’m worried he’d turn into another Eric Lindros. Not saying that he would have THAT level of unprofessionality, but it’s there in the back of my mind.

Of course, Lindros turned into the best thing that happenedto the Nords when they offloaded him…

Adrian(not Dater)

what did RNH say about the Oilers?

Guest27

Something along the lines of I would really like to play here after playing a junior game in edmonton.

Jay

he was playing IN Edmonton… would he tell the Edmonton media he didn’t like Edmonton? Of course not. He’s actually an Avs (Sakic) & Ducks (Kariya) fan and also likes Spezza in Ottawa. So there is no concern.

If a player doesn’t want to be the #1 pick, that should be a huge red flag. If a kid is dumb enough not to praise the potential #1 overall city to the media of that city when he’s going to play in that city, that would be a huge red flag.

That said, I bet he would rather be picked by Edmonton than Colorado. I’m sure he wants to play center in the NHL, and he’d have no shot to do that in Colorado.

Anonymous

Yeah I took his comments more to mean he wants to be the number one pick than he wants to play for Edmonton, I think if Colorado was locked into number one he’d be saying those things about them instead.

theSkank

If the Avs get RNH, Stastny is the one who will be looking over his shoulder.

I’ve seen him play a ton this year, and I’ve talked to a few Avs scouts at those games. Yes, he’s going to play center. He’s better in the faceoff circle than Stastny and Duchene are, and he’s better defensively than either of them are. The Avs would be fools to play him at wing, especially with his size. He’s a center.

theSkank

Im sure Kopitar, Getzlaf and Thorton are licking their lips at the thought of going head-to-head against Hishon.

Burke

If the Blues pick is in the top ten this year, the Blues have the choice of giving it to the Avs or keeping it.

If the Blues choose to keep the pick this year, then the Avs will get the Blues 1st rounder next year regardless of what pick it is.

RNH is a freak… just puttin it out there. However, it’s true, the Avs need size up front and good defence.

I would take Larsson, partially because he’s more likely to be able to step in right away and log good NHL minutes. Victor Hedman was the last big ticket out of Sweden on the back-end (sorry if I forgot someone) and a lot of reports say Larsson is further along in his development than Hedman was at the same time. Gotta say I like that outlook.

The Avs could have the Blues’ pick to work with, so maybe there’s an option to trade up.

As alternatives for both Larsson and Landeskog,

Tyler Biggs (Ranked 8 – RW – 6’2, 210) could be that size up front, unfortunately I don’t know too much about him. On the back end, Duncan Siemans ( Ranked 10 – D – 6’3, 197) is a pretty good defenceman right now for the Saskatoon Blades as a second team all-star this season in the WHL. I used the ISS Top 30 from March 15th for rankings.

So no matter who the Avs take with that top pick, there are some pretty good players hanging around the area where that Blues pick would sit (Currently ninth overall). But what is the condition on the Blues pick? If it’s in the top ten, don’t the Blues keep it?

Lots of choices on draft day for the Avs.

Phrish

I’m concerned about RNH though. After his recent comments about the Oilers, I’m worried he’d turn into another Eric Lindros. Not saying that he would have THAT level of unprofessionality, but it’s there in the back of my mind.

Of course, Lindros turned into the best thing that happenedto the Nords when they offloaded him…

Adrian(not Dater)

what did RNH say about the Oilers?

Guest27

Something along the lines of I would really like to play here after playing a junior game in edmonton.

Jay

he was playing IN Edmonton… would he tell the Edmonton media he didn’t like Edmonton? Of course not. He’s actually an Avs (Sakic) & Ducks (Kariya) fan and also likes Spezza in Ottawa. So there is no concern.

If a player doesn’t want to be the #1 pick, that should be a huge red flag. If a kid is dumb enough not to praise the potential #1 overall city to the media of that city when he’s going to play in that city, that would be a huge red flag.

That said, I bet he would rather be picked by Edmonton than Colorado. I’m sure he wants to play center in the NHL, and he’d have no shot to do that in Colorado.

Anonymous

Yeah I took his comments more to mean he wants to be the number one pick than he wants to play for Edmonton, I think if Colorado was locked into number one he’d be saying those things about them instead.

theSkank

If the Avs get RNH, Stastny is the one who will be looking over his shoulder.

I’ve seen him play a ton this year, and I’ve talked to a few Avs scouts at those games. Yes, he’s going to play center. He’s better in the faceoff circle than Stastny and Duchene are, and he’s better defensively than either of them are. The Avs would be fools to play him at wing, especially with his size. He’s a center.

theSkank

Im sure Kopitar, Getzlaf and Thorton are licking their lips at the thought of going head-to-head against Hishon.

Burke

If the Blues pick is in the top ten this year, the Blues have the choice of giving it to the Avs or keeping it.

If the Blues choose to keep the pick this year, then the Avs will get the Blues 1st rounder next year regardless of what pick it is.

theSkank

Barring a lottery suprise, Edmonton will be making the decision on who the avs pick. It’s either RNH or Larsson. Given the way RNH has played so far in the post-season, combined with Edmonton’s need at center, I think RNH will be picked 1st. But you never know. I hope the LD gets addressed this draft if we end up getting the Blues pick.

theSkank

Barring a lottery suprise, Edmonton will be making the decision on who the avs pick. It’s either RNH or Larsson. Given the way RNH has played so far in the post-season, combined with Edmonton’s need at center, I think RNH will be picked 1st. But you never know. I hope the LD gets addressed this draft if we end up getting the Blues pick.

Adrian(not Dater)

IMO yopu pick Larsson if he’s available, you cant pass up on a franchise defenseman.

BTW up here in Canada(I live in Ontario) i have an OHL package, so ill try to watch some Rangers games, but the picture quality is atrocious

theSkank

You better hurry, Kitchener is down 3-1 in the series.

Adrian(not Dater)

IMO yopu pick Larsson if he’s available, you cant pass up on a franchise defenseman.

BTW up here in Canada(I live in Ontario) i have an OHL package, so ill try to watch some Rangers games, but the picture quality is atrocious

Larsson is being overhyped. Those of us who have watched him play are all scratching our heads as to why he’s getting so much run. I don’t see him as a future franchise D at all. He’s not the best D in this draft; there are a few D I’d take over him. And the 2012 Draft is loaded with top end D, many of them far better than Larsson. There’s no reason to reach for a D like Larsson this year when superior D will be so bountiful next year.

RNH is a good prospect, but he hasn’t separated himself from a guy like Ryan Strome at all. If you look at Strome’s developmental curve and compare it to RNH, Strome’s is off the charts. Strome’s numbers are the same as RNH’s, the goals to assists ratio is the same, and Strome is a better stickhandler and shooter. RNH has a relatively slow release on his shot, a wiry frame with not much room to grow, and he’s closer to his developmental ceiling than Strome is. Center is a big need for Edmonton, and I hope they take RNH so that the Avs aren’t even tempted to take him.

Landeskog is the best player in this draft by a considerable margin. He does everything well. His game has adjusted to fit his body’s growth, and he hasn’t missed a beat. This time last year, he played more of a finesse game. Now, he’s plowing people over and playing a rock solid two-way game.

Imagine Galiardi’s relentless pressure and turnover creation abilities on the PK, Chris Stewart’s size and physicality, O’Reilly’s defensive ability and commitment, Jones’ shot and skating ability, Matt Duchene’s composure and work ethic and Foote’s attitude and leadership all rolled into one package. That’s Landeskog and that’s not an exaggeration. His offensive ceiling isn’t as high as Strome’s and RNH’s, but he’s easily a more complete player.

To answer someone else’s question about Biggs, he’s very similar to Landeskog. The level of competition that he has faced hasn’t been as consistently high as Landeskog’s, and his offensive game is considered to have less upside than Landeskog’s. I’ve seen both of them play a bunch of times, and I think Biggs’ offensive ability is vastly underrated. I’d love to see the Avs get both of them. Biggs’ draft stock will be made or broken at the U18 tournament later this month.

Adrian(not Dater)

“I don’t see him as a future franchise D at all. He’s not the best D in this draft; there are a few D I’d take over him”

Why the hell should i value your opinion more than the hundreds of payed, professional scouts that have opposite views on Larsson?

So because you’ve seen this guy(assuming thats not BS) you already know that this kid will amount to nothing more than an average dman, and I must assume that your doing some kind of world tour because you know without a shadow of a doubt that guys like : Murphy, Siemans, Hamilton etc. are better than Larsson.

1. You don’t know me, and you don’t know who pays me for my talent evaluation.
2. Murphy, Hamilton and Landeskog play in the OHL, and being based out of Detroit, let’s just say that I’ve seen them quite a bit the last two years (three for Murphy). I’ve seen every game of this first round series with Plymouth, and I’m getting ready to see Game 5 in three hours.
3. Siemens played in the CHL Top Prospects game in Toronto a couple months back, a four-hour drive that I make several dozen times a year for hockey.
4. Larsson played in the WJC in Buffalo – less than four hours from my doorstep – at the end of December and Beginning of January. I was obviously in attendance for that. He played several of his games in Niagara Falls, and the rest at HSBC.

Doesn’t exactly take a world tour to see these guys, kiddo. I didn’t have to drive more than four hours to see any of them.

Adrian(not Dater)

so because you’ve seen these guys play(still assuming it not BS) a couple times im supposed to believe what your saying is fact?

If your so spot on with scouting abilities why arent I seeing people refer to your amazingly accurate scouting reports? why isnt Gino Reda interviewing you on TSN?

Hey, believe what you want. You can attack me all you like, but what you haven’t done is make a logical, fact-based argument for any particular player, nor have you been able to make a logical, fact-based argument to refute anything I’ve said. You just spew ad hominem nonsense, appeal to authority and appeal to ridicule.

I didn’t say that I’ve only seen those guys a couple times. I simply pointed out that I have seen them all within 4hrs of my doorstep, as opposed to your ignorant “world tour” nonsense.

You say you live in Ontario and you have the OHL package, yet you haven’t watched the Kitchener-Plymouth series. If you had, you wouldn’t be talking about Larsson. If you had been watching, you would have seen Landeskog elevate his game and completely neutralize Plymouth’s leading scorer for long stretches.

You can’t point to a single observation you’ve made about Larsson or RNH because you’ve never seen either of them play. You don’t know how RNH scored his goal last night, or even what impact it had on the series. You don’t even know who his team played, if you even know what team he plays for.

Yet, for some reason, you’re here ignorantly running your mouth about me, making accusations without knowing the first thing about the guy you’re running your mouth to.

Adrian(not Dater)

first of all how am i attacking you?

and im not claiming to know everything or anything about any of these prospects im just stating my opinion based on what ive seen and read.

And if i want to disagree with you, ill disagree with you. i dont know why your trying to get me to agree with what your saying.

And thats very hypocritical of you to say that im making ignorant accusations about you when you have these in your post:

“You just spew ad hominem nonsense, appeal to authority and appeal to ridicule.”

“you haven’t watched the Kitchener-Plymouth series.”

“You can’t point to a single observation you’ve made about Larsson or RNH because you’ve never seen either of them play”

“You don’t know how RNH scored his goal last night, or even what impact it had on the series. You don’t even know who his team played, if you even know what team he plays for. ”

Anonymous

I agree with Adrian, I’ll take the other hundreds of scouts opinions over your own, sorry as you said we don’t know you. Give me Larsson but I sure wouldn’t be sad with Landeskog either.

Well, to be fair, you don’t know the opinions of any scouts other than CSS. None of the other sources that you’ve read are actually scouts. They’re people like me – people who are paid (or unpaid, in some instances) by independent entities to evaluate talent.

You don’t have access to scouts’ opinions.

Anonymous

That’s true, I’m actually very curious about what you do and envious, I’d love to scout players for a living.

You admitted yourself that you haven’t been watching the Kitchener-Plymouth series.

Saying that you’re spewing ad hominem, appeal to authority and appeal to ridicule aren’t ignorant accusations, they’re an identification of what you’ve done in this thread.

The last two are just safe assumptions given what you’ve said and how you’ve said it. I honestly couldn’t care less if you agree with me or not. I think anyone with half a brain can read what I wrote and read what you’ve written and know which of us knows what they’re talking about. Have a good one, kiddo.

Adrian(not Dater)

*facepalm*

1. No i didnt

2.all ive done in this thread, aside from arguing with you is say that i would take Larsson

3.Just because you use big words, and try to belittle by calling me “kiddo”, and saying *facepalm*at the beginning of your postsdoesnt make your arguement any better than mine. Also see cougs_suck as to whether or not someone with half a brain would side with me or you.

Larsson is being overhyped. Those of us who have watched him play are all scratching our heads as to why he’s getting so much run. I don’t see him as a future franchise D at all. He’s not the best D in this draft; there are a few D I’d take over him. And the 2012 Draft is loaded with top end D, many of them far better than Larsson. There’s no reason to reach for a D like Larsson this year when superior D will be so bountiful next year.

RNH is a good prospect, but he hasn’t separated himself from a guy like Ryan Strome at all. If you look at Strome’s developmental curve and compare it to RNH, Strome’s is off the charts. Strome’s numbers are the same as RNH’s, the goals to assists ratio is the same, and Strome is a better stickhandler and shooter. RNH has a relatively slow release on his shot, a wiry frame with not much room to grow, and he’s closer to his developmental ceiling than Strome is. Center is a big need for Edmonton, and I hope they take RNH so that the Avs aren’t even tempted to take him.

Landeskog is the best player in this draft by a considerable margin. He does everything well. His game has adjusted to fit his body’s growth, and he hasn’t missed a beat. This time last year, he played more of a finesse game. Now, he’s plowing people over and playing a rock solid two-way game.

Imagine Galiardi’s relentless pressure and turnover creation abilities on the PK, Chris Stewart’s size and physicality, O’Reilly’s defensive ability and commitment, Jones’ shot and skating ability, Matt Duchene’s composure and work ethic and Foote’s attitude and leadership all rolled into one package. That’s Landeskog and that’s not an exaggeration. His offensive ceiling isn’t as high as Strome’s and RNH’s, but he’s easily a more complete player.

To answer someone else’s question about Biggs, he’s very similar to Landeskog. The level of competition that he has faced hasn’t been as consistently high as Landeskog’s, and his offensive game is considered to have less upside than Landeskog’s. I’ve seen both of them play a bunch of times, and I think Biggs’ offensive ability is vastly underrated. I’d love to see the Avs get both of them. Biggs’ draft stock will be made or broken at the U18 tournament later this month.

Adrian(not Dater)

“I don’t see him as a future franchise D at all. He’s not the best D in this draft; there are a few D I’d take over him”

Why the hell should i value your opinion more than the hundreds of payed, professional scouts that have opposite views on Larsson?

So because you’ve seen this guy(assuming thats not BS) you already know that this kid will amount to nothing more than an average dman, and I must assume that your doing some kind of world tour because you know without a shadow of a doubt that guys like : Murphy, Siemans, Hamilton etc. are better than Larsson.

1. You don’t know me, and you don’t know who pays me for my talent evaluation.
2. Murphy, Hamilton and Landeskog play in the OHL, and being based out of Detroit, let’s just say that I’ve seen them quite a bit the last two years (three for Murphy). I’ve seen every game of this first round series with Plymouth, and I’m getting ready to see Game 5 in three hours.
3. Siemens played in the CHL Top Prospects game in Toronto a couple months back, a four-hour drive that I make several dozen times a year for hockey.
4. Larsson played in the WJC in Buffalo – less than four hours from my doorstep – at the end of December and Beginning of January. I was obviously in attendance for that. He played several of his games in Niagara Falls, and the rest at HSBC.

Doesn’t exactly take a world tour to see these guys, kiddo. I didn’t have to drive more than four hours to see any of them.

Adrian(not Dater)

so because you’ve seen these guys play(still assuming it not BS) a couple times im supposed to believe what your saying is fact?

If your so spot on with scouting abilities why arent I seeing people refer to your amazingly accurate scouting reports? why isnt Gino Reda interviewing you on TSN?

Hey, believe what you want. You can attack me all you like, but what you haven’t done is make a logical, fact-based argument for any particular player, nor have you been able to make a logical, fact-based argument to refute anything I’ve said. You just spew ad hominem nonsense, appeal to authority and appeal to ridicule.

I didn’t say that I’ve only seen those guys a couple times. I simply pointed out that I have seen them all within 4hrs of my doorstep, as opposed to your ignorant “world tour” nonsense.

You say you live in Ontario and you have the OHL package, yet you haven’t watched the Kitchener-Plymouth series. If you had, you wouldn’t be talking about Larsson. If you had been watching, you would have seen Landeskog elevate his game and completely neutralize Plymouth’s leading scorer for long stretches.

You can’t point to a single observation you’ve made about Larsson or RNH because you’ve never seen either of them play. You don’t know how RNH scored his goal last night, or even what impact it had on the series. You don’t even know who his team played, if you even know what team he plays for.

Yet, for some reason, you’re here ignorantly running your mouth about me, making accusations without knowing the first thing about the guy you’re running your mouth to.

Adrian(not Dater)

first of all how am i attacking you?

and im not claiming to know everything or anything about any of these prospects im just stating my opinion based on what ive seen and read.

And if i want to disagree with you, ill disagree with you. i dont know why your trying to get me to agree with what your saying.

And thats very hypocritical of you to say that im making ignorant accusations about you when you have these in your post:

“You just spew ad hominem nonsense, appeal to authority and appeal to ridicule.”

“you haven’t watched the Kitchener-Plymouth series.”

“You can’t point to a single observation you’ve made about Larsson or RNH because you’ve never seen either of them play”

“You don’t know how RNH scored his goal last night, or even what impact it had on the series. You don’t even know who his team played, if you even know what team he plays for. ”

Anonymous

I agree with Adrian, I’ll take the other hundreds of scouts opinions over your own, sorry nothing personal but as you said we don’t know you. Give me Larsson but I sure wouldn’t be sad with Landeskog either.

Well, to be fair, you don’t know the opinions of any scouts other than CSS. None of the other sources that you’ve read are actually scouts. They’re people like me – people who are paid (or unpaid, in some instances) by independent entities to evaluate talent.

You don’t have access to scouts’ opinions.

Anonymous

That’s true, I’m actually very curious about what you do and envious, I’d love to scout players for a living.

You admitted yourself that you haven’t been watching the Kitchener-Plymouth series.

Saying that you’re spewing ad hominem, appeal to authority and appeal to ridicule aren’t ignorant accusations, they’re an identification of what you’ve done in this thread.

The last two are just safe assumptions given what you’ve said and how you’ve said it. I honestly couldn’t care less if you agree with me or not. I think anyone with half a brain can read what I wrote and read what you’ve written and know which of us knows what they’re talking about. Have a good one, kiddo.

Adrian(not Dater)

*facepalm*

1. No i didnt

2.all ive done in this thread, aside from arguing with you is say that i would take Larsson

3.Just because you use big words, and try to belittle by calling me “kiddo”, and saying *facepalm*at the beginning of your postsdoesnt make your arguement any better than mine. Also see cougs_suck as to whether or not someone with half a brain would side with me or you.

Its amazing that for how well the Avs scouts are able to identify young talent the Avs front office is equally adept at trading away that young talent for terrible players.

Guest27

Its amazing that for how well the Avs scouts are able to identify young talent the Avs front office is equally adept at trading away that young talent for terrible players.

Jay

AD

The best player in the draft (right now) is RNH. Do the Avs need another 6’1″ highly skilled center in the Duchene mold? People forget he is one of the younger players in the project top 8 so his “ceiling” is unknown still but if he continues playing the way he has these past few months… he goes first.
With that said, Larsson is a D playing in Sweden. How many picks have the Avs used on europeans? In the early rounds? How many RD do the Avs have? How many top drafted D’s turn out to be studs? D’s are so hard to guarantee as it is such a tough position and they develop differently. It may be 5 years before we really see what he can do.
So Landeskog? Size, Skill, Meanstreak, Scorer, Tenacious…etc etc etc. Landeskog is a beast and plays with the heart that Forsberg played with. He’s a potential playoff MVP. We should all recall the Forsberg press conference and recall what he said he wanted to be remembered for because those same words will come out of Landeskog’s mouth when he retires (with whoever he ends up with).

then again it’s Pracey so they are probably going with Larsson

Jay

AD

The best player in the draft (right now) is RNH. Do the Avs need another 6’1″ highly skilled center in the Duchene mold? People forget he is one of the younger players in the project top 8 so his “ceiling” is unknown still but if he continues playing the way he has these past few months… he goes first.
With that said, Larsson is a D playing in Sweden. How many picks have the Avs used on europeans? In the early rounds? How many RD do the Avs have? How many top drafted D’s turn out to be studs? D’s are so hard to guarantee as it is such a tough position and they develop differently. It may be 5 years before we really see what he can do.
So Landeskog? Size, Skill, Meanstreak, Scorer, Tenacious…etc etc etc. Landeskog is a beast and plays with the heart that Forsberg played with. He’s a potential playoff MVP. We should all recall the Forsberg press conference and recall what he said he wanted to be remembered for because those same words will come out of Landeskog’s mouth when he retires (with whoever he ends up with).

then again it’s Pracey so they are probably going with Larsson

cody

Landeskog with the first pick, the Ryan Murphey with the second pick. Of course that is saying we get the Blues Pick and Ryan Murphey actually is still available at the 11th pick. Probably not.

Adrian(not Dater)

Why Murphy, were already stock piled with small offensive dmen

Cody

Yes you are right and it is probably out of the question.But have you seen Murphey? That kid is amazing and he would big time help the avs power play in the future. I am speaking as a fan when i say draft Murphey not a GM. If they did get murphey they would have to trade a few of their small D away.

If they draft him at #2, that would be a mistake. If they used a later pick on him (either the Blues pick or a pick that they acquire), then I’d be fine with it. He’s tremendously skilled.

cody

Landeskog with the first pick, the Ryan Murphey with the second pick. Of course that is saying we get the Blues Pick and Ryan Murphey actually is still available at the 11th pick. Probably not.

Adrian(not Dater)

Why Murphy, were already stock piled with small offensive dmen

Cody

Yes you are right and it is probably out of the question.But have you seen Murphey? That kid is amazing and he would big time help the avs power play in the future. I am speaking as a fan when i say draft Murphey not a GM. If they did get murphey they would have to trade a few of their small D away.

Mark Rycroft said it perfectly a while ago. The Avs have all the skill you can imagine but what they lack is size and grit. For that reason, I take Landeskog. The Avs need grit, leadership and more of that never-say-die attitude. The Avs need Landeskog to be a blunt instrument and not just on the ice.

If we get St. Louis’ first round pick, I get Duncan Siemens. A left handed defensive defenseman who is 6’3 200 already at 18. He’s got chemistry with another staple of the Avs in Stefan Elliott already and he plays like Scott Stevens.

If we don’t get that first, I try to make a move into the late first to get Jamie Oleksiak. He’s only a 6’7 defenseman. What could go wrong there? He’s a bit of a project but he could be really good in 2-3 years.

Jay

Siemens is an interesting prospect.He is extremely young for this draft so he is close to a year behind in development time compared to other top picks. Few weeks younger and he’s a 2012 pick so to be looked at as a possible top 10 in 2011 says a lot.

Destroyed Bartschi at the Top Prospects game, then immediately after that, he kicked the living crap out of Musil. He hasn’t been spectacular this series against Prince Albert. If the Blades get knocked out by the Raiders, especially giving up as many goals as they have the last two games, that wouldn’t bode well for Siemens.

The thing with Siemens is that the people I have been talking to around the rink think of him as a project. His early birthdate actually benefits him, because people see him as younger than most of the class (and there tends to be a bias against late birthdates anyway…the bar tends to be set much higher for them and rightly so). With such a volatile draft and with such a lack of consensus, I think you’ll see guys go off the board a lot earlier than you would otherwise expect, and guys drop. And with so many enticing D in 2012, it wouldn’t surprise me if Siemens dropped.

Then again, with such a weak D class, maybe he doesn’t drop much at all.

The really interesting guys to watch are going to be Grimaldi and Biggs. The two of them could drastically alter the landscape and if the Avs end up with that Blues pick, the two of them could either cause someone major to drop, or one of the two of them could be there when that pick comes up.

Rcroyce

Tj since you have the opportunity to see more than 3minute youtube clips of these guys, what is your opinion on Couturier? For a highly rated guy nobody is talking about him being taken by the Avs. I know he plays in the Q, but do you have any insight on him?

Cooter doesn’t get much run this year because after his performance last year, people expected a silly year out of him this year. Part of it is that he’s a late birthdate, so he’s played an extra year of junior that most of the other 93s haven’t, and at a certain point, there’s not too much more you can do at the junior level. Still, his production should have increased more than it did.

His performance at the WJC was less than impressive, and while the WJC shouldn’t make or break a player on its own, it is the most visible stage for a draft prospect, and being a mediocre role player on a team that fell apart didn’t help his stock (and being left off the team probably helped RNH’s stock, oddly enough).

Another knock on Cooter is his skating. He’s slow, and his game is slow. He’s got a ton of talent, but you don’t really see him accelerate with the puck and make moves at high speeds. That’s not to say that he can’t be a productive player at the NHL level, it’s just that he’s not as dynamic offensively as other guys are.

I wouldn’t really consider him at #2, but I don’t think he’s going to fall out of the top 10.

theSkank

The consensus seems to be that the avs need some size. Hishon would look like a giant standing beside Grimaldi (Height 5.06 — Weight 160)

Mark Rycroft said it perfectly a while ago. The Avs have all the skill you can imagine but what they lack is size and grit. For that reason, I take Landeskog. The Avs need grit, leadership and more of that never-say-die attitude. The Avs need Landeskog to be a blunt instrument and not just on the ice.

If we get St. Louis’ first round pick, I get Duncan Siemens. A left handed defensive defenseman who is 6’3 200 already at 18. He’s got chemistry with another staple of the Avs in Stefan Elliott already and he plays like Scott Stevens.

If we don’t get that first, I try to make a move into the late first to get Jamie Oleksiak. He’s only a 6’7 defenseman. What could go wrong there? He’s a bit of a project but he could be really good in 2-3 years.

Jay

Siemens is an interesting prospect.He is extremely young for this draft so he is close to a year behind in development time compared to other top picks. Few weeks younger and he’s a 2012 pick so to be looked at as a possible top 10 in 2011 says a lot.

Destroyed Bartschi at the Top Prospects game, then immediately after that, he kicked the living crap out of Musil. He hasn’t been spectacular this series against Prince Albert. If the Blades get knocked out by the Raiders, especially giving up as many goals as they have the last two games, that wouldn’t bode well for Siemens.

The thing with Siemens is that the people I have been talking to around the rink think of him as a project. His early birthdate actually benefits him, because people see him as younger than most of the class (and there tends to be a bias against late birthdates anyway…the bar tends to be set much higher for them and rightly so). With such a volatile draft and with such a lack of consensus, I think you’ll see guys go off the board a lot earlier than you would otherwise expect, and guys drop. And with so many enticing D in 2012, it wouldn’t surprise me if Siemens dropped.

Then again, with such a weak D class, maybe he doesn’t drop much at all.

The really interesting guys to watch are going to be Grimaldi and Biggs. The two of them could drastically alter the landscape and if the Avs end up with that Blues pick, the two of them could either cause someone major to drop, or one of the two of them could be there when that pick comes up.

Rcroyce

Tj since you have the opportunity to see more than 3minute youtube clips of these guys, what is your opinion on Couturier? For a highly rated guy nobody is talking about him being taken by the Avs. I know he plays in the Q, but do you have any insight on him?

Cooter doesn’t get much run this year because after his performance last year, people expected a silly year out of him this year. Part of it is that he’s a late birthdate, so he’s played an extra year of junior that most of the other 93s haven’t, and at a certain point, there’s not too much more you can do at the junior level. Still, his production should have increased more than it did.

His performance at the WJC was less than impressive, and while the WJC shouldn’t make or break a player on its own, it is the most visible stage for a draft prospect, and being a mediocre role player on a team that fell apart didn’t help his stock (and being left off the team probably helped RNH’s stock, oddly enough).

Another knock on Cooter is his skating. He’s slow, and his game is slow. He’s got a ton of talent, but you don’t really see him accelerate with the puck and make moves at high speeds. That’s not to say that he can’t be a productive player at the NHL level, it’s just that he’s not as dynamic offensively as other guys are.

I wouldn’t really consider him at #2, but I don’t think he’s going to fall out of the top 10.

theSkank

The consensus seems to be that the avs need some size. Hishon would look like a giant standing beside Grimaldi (Height 5.06 — Weight 160)

My lines for next year yould be:
Galiardi – Stastny – Landeskog
Brouwer – Duchene – Hejduk
I would trade Hishon and a 2nd OR St. Louis 1st to have Brouwer from Chicago. He is tough, has good speed, good hands and untapped potential. He is a RFA this year and will want a raise on his 1M+ salary.
Winnick – O’Reilly – Jones
McLeod – McClemment – Yip
Porter – Koci

Quincey – Johnson
Liles – O’Byrne
Wilson – Elliott
Holos

Bryzgalov
I hope he will be an UFA. he is 31 years old. I offer him 4 years at 5M. I am sure he could be interested. Our team is not as bad as is 2nd half record shows it.
Elliott

Adrian(not Dater)

yes great trade, Hishon(1st rounder, potential 1st/2nd line centre) and a 1st/2nd round pick for a good third liner/ OK 2nd liner

My lines for next year yould be:
Galiardi – Stastny – Landeskog
Brouwer – Duchene – Hejduk
I would trade Hishon and a 2nd OR St. Louis 1st to have Brouwer from Chicago. He is tough, has good speed, good hands and untapped potential. He is a RFA this year and will want a raise on his 1M+ salary.
Winnick – O’Reilly – Jones
McLeod – McClemment – Yip
Porter – Koci

Quincey – Johnson
Liles – O’Byrne
Wilson – Elliott
Holos

Bryzgalov
I hope he will be an UFA. he is 31 years old. I offer him 4 years at 5M. I am sure he could be interested. Our team is not as bad as is 2nd half record shows it.
Elliott

Adrian(not Dater)

yes great trade, Hishon(1st rounder, potential 1st/2nd line centre) and a 1st/2nd round pick for a good third liner/ OK 2nd liner

Landeskog does make the most sense as far as position need and being able to get him up to NHL speed quicker than the other prospects, but it’s really hard to overlook RNH’s potential. I think he looks better than duchene at the same pre-draft stage.

RNH is not ahead of Duchene was when Duchene was RNH’s age. And Hishon steps in next year. People forget that Duchene, O’Reilly and Hishon are all the same age and were part of the same OHL Draft class.

Landeskog does make the most sense as far as position need and being able to get him up to NHL speed quicker than the other prospects, but it’s really hard to overlook RNH’s potential. I think he looks better than duchene at the same pre-draft stage. If RNH is available, it is quite possible we pass on him given that hishon is one or two years away.

RNH is not ahead of Duchene was when Duchene was RNH’s age. And Hishon steps in next year. People forget that Duchene, O’Reilly and Hishon are all the same age and were part of the same OHL Draft class.

Jeikobu

I don’t know nearly enough about these guys yet, but my pick right now would be Larsson because he’s a defenseman. We need size, yes, and he’s basically the same size as Dater’s pick, Landeskog (a bit taller and lighter), but I think defense is a lot more important for the Avs right now. Losing Stewie hurts us a lot, but we still have strong depth on offense. Still, Nugent-Hopkins is really gaining my interest. I really like what I’ve heard about him so far. So he’d be my second choice at this point.

Jeikobu

I don’t know nearly enough about these guys yet, but my pick right now would be Larsson because he’s a defenseman. We need size, yes, and he’s basically the same size as Dater’s pick, Landeskog (a bit taller and lighter), but I think defense is a lot more important for the Avs right now. Losing Stewie hurts us a lot, but we still have strong depth on offense. Still, Nugent-Hopkins is really gaining my interest. I really like what I’ve heard about him so far. So he’d be my second choice at this point.

ard8

True story: for a few years I regularly visited a WHL city and saw lots of WHL games. I fancied myself quite the talent scout at the time but, in hindsight, I was pretty bad. A lot of players that I thought were can’t miss prospects failed to develop enough to ever make an impact at the NHL level. Good example? How about Shawn Belle? Every time I saw him he was the best player on the ice. Where is he now?

The key is development. When scouts peg prospects, they’re doing everything they can to accurately measure development potential. As a fan, I don’t have access to the type of personal information the scouts have. How do you measure desire?

That’s what makes GL so intriguing. He obviously has a love of the sport raging in his belly. He’ll do pretty much anything to win. As a fan, I could actually see that kind of desire in one guy back when I was going to these games. That guy? Dan Blackburn, and he turned out pretty good during his brief NHL career. So if GL is available, that’s why he’s my pick.

ard8

True story: for a few years I regularly visited a WHL city and saw lots of WHL games. I fancied myself quite the talent scout at the time but, in hindsight, I was pretty bad. A lot of players that I thought were can’t miss prospects failed to develop enough to ever make an impact at the NHL level. Good example? How about Shawn Belle? Every time I saw him he was the best player on the ice. Where is he now?

The key is development. When scouts peg prospects, they’re doing everything they can to accurately measure development potential. As a fan, I don’t have access to the type of personal information the scouts have. How do you measure desire?

That’s what makes GL so intriguing. He obviously has a love of the sport raging in his belly. He’ll do pretty much anything to win. As a fan, I could actually see that kind of desire in one guy back when I was going to these games. That guy? Dan Blackburn, and he turned out pretty good during his brief NHL career. So if GL is available, that’s why he’s my pick.

Anonymous

Don’t look now but the Panthers have completely folded and are on a mad dash for 29th. They’ve lost 8 in a row and are only 4 points ahead of the Avs. If the Avs are able pick up a few more wins they could easily jump ahead of the Panthers. The Avs have 5 games left and the Panthers only have 3. I don’t know much about the Panthers needs but I’m sure they’d like Landeskog or Larsson just as much as the Avs so if they finish 29th and Edmonton takes one of those two the Avs could come away with neither, that would suck.

Anonymous

Don’t look now but the Panthers have completely folded and are on a mad dash for 29th. They’ve lost 8 in a row and are only 4 points ahead of the Avs. If the Avs are able pick up a few more wins they could easily jump ahead of the Panthers. The Avs have 5 games left and the Panthers only have 3. I don’t know much about the Panthers needs but I’m sure they’d like Landeskog or Larsson just as much as the Avs so if they finish 29th and Edmonton takes one of those two the Avs could come away with neither, that would suck.

Terry Frei graduated from Wheat Ridge High School in the Denver area and has degrees in history and journalism from the University of Colorado-Boulder. He worked for the Rocky Mountain News while attending CU and joined the Post staff after graduation. He has also worked at the Oregonian in Portland, Ore., and The Sporting News. His seventh book, March 1939: Before the Madness, was issued in February 2014.

Chambers covers college and professional hockey for The Denver Post. He has written for the Post since 1994, after dumping his first 9-to-5 office job a couple years out of college. He primarily follows the University of Denver hockey team and helps cover the Avalanche.